Motorists violating various rules proposed by the Ministry of Transport led by Kipchumba Murkomen will now be required to pay a fine of Ksh1 million or face a jail term not exceeding six years.
This is a shift from the 2022 draft regulations shared by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), where motorists who flouted the rules were fined Ksh20,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding six months or both.
The new draft regulations are meant to streamline the transport sector and only allow roadworthy vehicles on different highways. They are also meant to reduce road accidents.
According to the proposed regulations, it would be considered an offence to operate or own a vehicle without an inspection certificate.
Additionally, altering any inspection certificate issued by NTSA or another inspection centre would also be considered an offence under the proposed traffic rules.
Besides altering, creating a counterfeit inspection certificate would amount to a violation of the new rules.
Furthermore, motorists who try to beat the system by using an inspection certificate assigned to another vehicle would also be considered to have contravened the draft regulations.
"A person who contravenes any provisions of these regulations commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Ksh1milion or imprisonment not exceeding 6 years or both in addition to any administrative action the Authority is empowered to take," the draft regulations read in part.
In the draft regulations, all private vehicles which are more than four years old from the recorded date of manufacture shall undergo a motor vehicle inspection test after every two years.
All commercial vehicles, Public Service Vehicles, Driving School Vehicles and School Buses will undergo a pre-registration inspection before being registered and subjected to an annual motor vehicle inspection thereafter.
On the other hand, salvage vehicles will also be required to undergo a salvage motor vehicle inspection after the necessary repairs and upgrades and an annual periodic inspection thereafter.
Vehicles that have been involved in accidents will be expected to undergo fresh inspection tests before being allowed back on the road.
In keeping up with the proposed regulations, mechanics modifying various motor vehicles will also be required to subject them to inspection tests once they are done.
"All vehicles which undergo any changes in the length, height, width, maximum payload, vehicle color, engine swap, and other major structural or mechanical changes shall be subject to a modification inspection," the draft regulations further indicated.
However, in the proposed regulations, inspections would not be reserved for NTSA alone. Other private inspection centres can apply for consideration in getting the government's nod to check the roadworthiness of vehicles.
